Life and Physical Sciences

Survival Guide 2008–2009Advice, information and answers for UWA Life and Pysical Science students at PSB Academy

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CONTENTS

WELCOME ................................................................................................ 4 UWA FACULTY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES (LPS) .............................................................4 PSB ACADEMY, SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES (SLS).........................................................................4 TEACHING PERIODS .........................................................................................................................5 STUDENT CARD AND UNIVERSITY EMAIL .....................................................................................5

YOUR ENROLMENT ............................................................................... 6 COMPLETING YOUR ENROLMENT ..................................................................................................6 CHECKING YOUR ENROLMENT .......................................................................................................7 LATE FEES ..........................................................................................................................................7 IF A UNIT ENROLMENT SHOWS AS “INVALID” ..............................................................................7 PREREQUISITES ................................................................................................................................7 ADVANCING TO LEVEL 3 UNITS ......................................................................................................7 CREDIT FOR EQUIVALENT STUDY (ADVANCED STANDING) .......................................................8 CHANGING YOUR ENROLMENT ......................................................................................................8 LAST DATES FOR ADDING OR WITHDRAWING FROM A UNIT ....................................................8

YOUR CLASSES ....................................................................................... 8 YOUR TIMETABLE .............................................................................................................................8 BUYING TEXTBOOKS.........................................................................................................................9 GOING TO LECTURES........................................................................................................................9 TAKING IN ALL THAT INFORMATION.............................................................................................9 LABORATORY SESSIONS .................................................................................................................10 ASSIGNMENTS .................................................................................................................................10

GETTING YOURSELF ORGANISED .................................................. 10 OBTAINING ACADEMIC ADVICE ....................................................................................................11

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT .................................................................. 11 GRADES AND MARKS ......................................................................................................................11 ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND PLAGIARISM...............................................................................12 EXAMINATIONS ...............................................................................................................................12 DEFERRED EXAMS ..........................................................................................................................13 SPECIAL CONSIDERATION .............................................................................................................14 SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................14 SATISFACTORY/UNSATISFACTORY PROGRESS ...........................................................................14 APPEALS AGAINST ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT ..............................................................................15

APPROVED LEAVE ............................................................................... 16

TRANSFERRING TO CRAWLEY CAMPUS ...................................... 17

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COMPLETION OF COURSE AND GRADUATION ........................... 17 PRIZES ..............................................................................................................................................17 OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS OF ACADEMIC RECORD .......................................................................17 OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATION ................................................................................18 FURTHER STUDY .............................................................................................................................18

GENERAL INFORMATION ................................................................. 18 COPYRIGHT ACT 1968......................................................................................................................18

STUDENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM................... 19 STUDENT CONNECT ........................................................................................................................19 PHEME ..............................................................................................................................................19 FINANCIAL PENALTY ......................................................................................................................19

Appendix A – Lab Safety Contract for School of Life Sciences

Appendix B – Prerequisites

Appendix C – Pathway Offer

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WELCOME Welcome to The University of Western Australia and congratulations on being accepted into our Science program. We are delighted that you have chosen to study with us and we hope that this will be a great experience for you. One of the most important things you can learn at University is how to find information for yourself. Reading this guide will help!

UWA FACULTY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES (LPS) Important People in the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences: Dean Professor George Stewart Offshore Program Director Dr Mark D Cregan mark.cregan@uwa.edu.au (from November) Dr Thomas Martin thomas.martin@uwa.edu.au Academic Student Adviser Dr Jane Emberson Program Manager Ms Judy Fetherston judy.fetherston@uwa.edu.au Administrative Officer Miss Rabecca Light rabecca.light@uwa.edu.au Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences website http://www.science.uwa.edu.au Offshore Science website http://www.science.uwa.edu.au/for/offshore Contact details for teaching staff are available in the unit outlines.

PSB ACADEMY, SCHOOL OF LIFE SCIENCES (SLS) The School of Life and Physical Sciences administration is located at Delta Campus Block D. Please see the PSB Student Handbook for the general map of the Delta Campus. Important People in the School of Life and Physical Sciences Office: Head of School Dr C J Kho 6517 2941 Choon-Joo.kho@psb-academy.edu.sg Manager Ms Kit Lam 6517 2942 Kit.LAM@psb-academy.edu.sg Laboratory Manager Mr William Lim 6517 2946 William.LIM@psb-academy.edu.sg Programme Executives Life Sciences Melisa Chan (FNSC/GENE/MICR/SCIE) 6517 2948 Melisa.CHAN@psb-academy.edu.sg Shine Awyong (BIOC/CHEM/PHYL/PHCY) 6517 2947 Shine.AWYONG@psb-academy.edu.sg For general enquires on the Life Sciences programs, please contact Melisa Chan if you are a student commencing in September, and Shine Awyong if you are a student commencing in March. Programme Executives Psychology / Sports Science Jessie Koh (ANHB/HMES) 6517 2943 Jessie.KOH@psb-academy.edu.sg Charlynn Liew (PSYC/MGMT/STAT/MATH) 6517 2944 Charlynn.LIEW@psb-academy.edu.sg For general enquiries on the Psychology / Sports Science programs, please contact Jessie Koh if you are a student commencing in September, and Charlynn Liew if you are a student commencing in March. All student matters and enquiries are dealt with by the Programme Executives.

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TEACHING PERIODS The teaching periods at PSB for 2008 and 2009 are listed below. Eight-week timetable For students commencing their studies in September 2008 please use the following timetable. G5-OFF 2008 27 September – 21 November 2008 G6-OFF 2008 22 November 2008 – 30 January 2009 G1-OFF 2009 31 January – 3 April 2009 G2-OFF 2009 4 April – 29 May 2009 G3-OFF 2009 30 May – 24 July 2009 G4-OFF 2009 25 July – 18 September 2009 G5-OFF 2009 26 September – 20 November 2009 G6-OFF 2009 21 November 2009 – 29 January 2010 Seven-week timetable For existing students who commenced their studies prior to September 2008 please use the following timetable. B6-OFF 2008 27 September – 14 November 2008 B7-OFF 2008 15 November 2008 – 16 January 2009 B1-OFF 2009 17 January – 6 March 2009 B2-OFF 2009 7 March – 24 April 2009 B3-OFF 2009 25 April – 12 June 2009 B4-OFF 2009 13 June – 31 July 2009 B5-OFF 2009 1 August – 18 September 2009 B6-OFF 2009 26 September – 13 November 2009 B7-OFF 2009 14 November – 15 January 2010 Students who fail a unit may be able to avoid dropping back a cohort, by switching between the seven-week and eight-week timetables. The census dates for teaching periods at PSB Academy occur on the Friday of Week 3 of each teaching period. The census date is the last date you can withdraw from a unit without incurring academic penalty. See more under “Last Dates for Adding or Withdrawing from a Unit”. Please contact your PSB Programme Executive if you have any queries regarding your timetable.

STUDENT CARD AND UNIVERSITY EMAIL Student Card and Student Number (Person ID) Each student will be issued with a student card provided by the University. Please bring this card along for identification purposes for all examinations. It is also important for you to remember your student number and to quote it in all correspondence with PSB or the University. Please await an email from your respective PSB Programme Executive to inform you of the collection date for your card.

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Contacting you – very important! Every student at UWA is given a student email address. It is ‘s’ + your ‘student number’ @student.uwa.edu.au (e.g. s12345678@student.uwa.edu.au). It is essential that you check your student emails frequently, as the University will use this email address to contact you with important information. Ignorance of an instruction because you failed to check your student email is not accepted as an excuse by the University. If you email a query to the University from an email address other than your student email address, you may find the response is sent to your student email, as the University actively discourages its staff and students from using hotmail and similar addresses in official correspondence due to the risk of unnecessary and unfriendly SPAM. It is therefore preferable, and more efficient, to use your formal student email address for all official email correspondence with the University. It is also important that you keep your contact details up to date, so that we can get in touch with you quickly if that is necessary. If your contact details need changing, please complete the appropriate form, which can be found on the Student Administration website at: http://www.studentadmin.uwa.edu.au/welcome/accessing_your_information/changing_details. YOUR ENROLMENT If you are enrolling at UWA for the first time, the deadline for your enrolment will be included in your Authority to Enrol. All other students must enrol by the date specified by Student Administration – for the exact date please check with Student Administration / PSB Academy. You are required to re-enrol in November each academic year, as re-enrolment is not automatic. Enrolment instructions will be sent to your student email account prior to the commencement date of the online re-enrolment exercise. Please ensure that you keep to the deadline to avoid any financial penalty. Please note that when enrolling for the first time or adding units during the year, you will only be able to enrol in units for that calendar year. The only time you will be able to enrol in units for the following year is during the November re-enrolment period at the end of each academic year. Re-enrolment dates can be found on the UWA Student Administration website. COMPLETING YOUR ENROLMENT When you re-enrol, you will be required to complete an enrolment form on the web. Instructions on how to complete an electronic enrolment form can be found on the UWA Student Administration website at: http://www.simssupport.uwa.edu.au/student_connect_guide/online_enrolment. You can print off your receipt of enrolment upon completion of your on-line enrolment. You may, in some circumstances, be required to complete a hard copy enrolment form. If you encounter any difficulty completing either form, contact the Programme Executive at PSB in the first instance.

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CHECKING YOUR ENROLMENT Once you have enrolled (or re-enrolled), Faculty staff will check your enrolment and contact you or the PSB Programme Executive if there are any problems with your unit selection. You can check to see if your units have been entered correctly and are valid via Student Connect. Please note that you will not receive any separate written confirmation if your selection is approved.

LATE FEES Students who fail to re-enrol within the specified re-enrolment timeframe will be required to pay a late fee. The late fee is administered by UWA Student Administration and is not a levy imposed by PSB Academy or the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences at UWA.

IF A UNIT ENROLMENT SHOWS AS “INVALID” First of all – don‘t panic! The Faculty Office may be able to validate the unit without input from you. If we need more information, or if you are not eligible to take the invalid unit(s), you will be contacted. You must, however, check your academic record regularly to see if your academic record has been updated. If you are expecting amendments to be made and they are not evident on your academic record after a period of two weeks from the time when you first contacted the Programme Executive, please contact the Programme Executive at PSB again who can get in touch with the Faculty for you to see if there is a problem. If you believe the Faculty has made a mistake, or if you wish to present a case for approval of a non-standard enrolment, you should contact the PSB Programme Executive with a clear statement of your reasons.

PREREQUISITES Before enrolling in a unit, you are required to meet its prerequisite(s). You must have passed the prerequisite unit(s), by attaining a mark of at least 50% (unless a lower requirement is explicitly stated), or have been granted advanced standing/credit for the prerequisite. Prerequisites may be waived only when a student can demonstrate equivalent knowledge. In such a case you would need to put forward, in writing, your reasons for the suggested waiver, and submit it to the appropriate PSB Programme Executive, who will forward it to the Faculty. Please note that the final decision whether to waive prerequisites rests with the Faculty. If you take and pass all the units in your program in the order in which they are offered (apart from any for which you have been granted credit), you will automatically meet the prerequisites. If you fail a unit, you will need to repeat it. This is likely to mean that you will drop back to the next cohort. You cannot normally progress to any subsequent unit for which you have failed a prerequisite. (See below for Supplementary Exams at Level 1 and Failing Units)

ADVANCING TO LEVEL 3 UNITS You are strongly advised to enrol in and pass your mathematics and/or statistics units (MATH1050, MATH1040, STAT1510) before you enrol in any level 3 units. If, for some reason you are unable to complete these units prior to commencing level 3 units, you should contact the PSB Programme Executive.

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CREDIT FOR EQUIVALENT STUDY (ADVANCED STANDING) In principle, the Faculty will grant credit for equivalent units passed in a previous university course. You must apply, providing an official academic transcript and (if possible) descriptions of the units. You must normally be completing the BSc program within ten years of the date on which your previous course began. Similarly, some credit (up to a maximum of 48 points) can be given for equivalent studies in a completed diploma course, provided it is in a relevant area and your results are good. In most cases, credit will be assessed when you apply for entry. The advanced standing which you have been granted will be acknowledged on your formal academic record.

CHANGING YOUR ENROLMENT Any changes to your enrolment should be made in writing, preferably at least four weeks prior to the start of term. It is suggested that you read the PSB Academy refund policy and the policy relating to withdrawal before requesting variations to your enrolment status. The form for requesting changes is available from PSB and should be returned to the PSB office. If the Faculty is not aware that you have changed your enrolment, you will continue to be enrolled in your original unit – which means that you are liable for the fees for that unit. Please note that your proposed enrolment will not be confirmed until the Faculty has approved it. It is suggested that you continue to attend the lectures of the unit you want to change until approval has been given. You can also start attending the lectures in the unit you have requested to change into, on the understanding that your attendance is conditional until confirmation of approval has been given for your change of units.

LAST DATES FOR ADDING OR WITHDRAWING FROM A UNIT If you are considering withdrawing or adding a unit you should consult PSB for advice, as there are special dates to consider when adding or withdrawing from units. It is IMPORTANT that you check these dates with the Administration Office of the School of Life and Physical Sciences. The last date to withdraw without incurring academic penalty is the Friday of the third week of each teaching period. This is called the “census date”. Withdrawing after the census date will result in the imposition on your academic record of a grade of FN (fail due to non-completion). No withdrawals are permitted after the last class in a unit. In certain circumstances that are beyond your control, for example significant illness, the Faculty may permit you to withdraw later than the normal cut-off dates without academic penalty. If you find yourself in this situation you should contact PSB for advice as soon as possible and submit a Special Consideration form without delay.

YOUR CLASSES

YOUR TIMETABLE Check the unit schedule for block teaching and tutorial times. It is strongly recommended that you attend all teaching sessions conducted by your lecturers and that you participate in all tutorials. Records of attendance at lectures are not normally kept;

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however, lecturers are under no obligation to provide written material or separate assistance to students who miss lectures. Laboratory sessions are compulsory and there are normally penalties for missing them, which may include loss or marks or even a fail in the unit (see below). You should carefully check the unit outline and instructions given to you at the commencement of each unit for penalties which may apply in relation to late submission of assignments or non-attendance at laboratory sessions. A detailed timetable will be given out at the beginning of each unit. Always refer to the latest timetable. For further information regarding timetables contact the PSB Programme Executive.

BUYING TEXTBOOKS Check the unit outline to find out the textbook details and buy the required book(s) from your preferred bookshop (or second-hand from a previous student where the specified edition is still current). It is advisable that you wait until the first lecture before purchasing textbooks, as the unit lists may be varied at the discretion of the co-ordinator. Textbook lists will be available from the PSB Office before the relevant unit commences. GOING TO LECTURES A lecture is a class attended by all students taking the unit. Each lecture will focus on a particular topic and the lecturer will provide a general overview of the topic. It is very important that you are not late for the start of each lecture as important information is often given at this time.

DON’T FORGET TO TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE!

TAKING IN ALL THAT INFORMATION Lectures offer core information, relevant examples, and usually a chance to ask questions. Go to the lectures well prepared, concentrate, and take notes (develop your own shorthand). With practice you will get better at recognising the most important points and how they fit together. It is vital that you be able to put the information and concepts into your own words and apply them. Test yourself and, if in doubt, seek clarification. Here are some common mistakes that students often make in lectures: o Trying to take down everything the lecturer says, word for word o Not taking enough notes o Not thinking about what you are learning when you are listening to the lecturer o Not asking questions o Not attending lectures – it takes a LOT longer to cover the same material on your own Here are some suggestions to help you: o Think about the lecture topic and study the lecture summary if one is provided. Ask yourself

“what is this lecture about?” o Go through the set readings before the lecture. If you haven't time to read them all, take note

of headings and sub-headings, and the first sentence of each paragraph. This will alert you to the main points to be covered.

o In the lecture, distinguish between main concepts and the examples that illustrate them. o Go through your notes within 24 hours of the lecture (or as soon as possible). Fill in any gaps,

make corrections and identify questions you can ask your lecturer or other students later.

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o Clarify any missed points with the lecturer after the lecture. You should also check your textbook or other recommended material.

o Make mind maps, flow diagrams or summaries in ‘point form’ to outline your understanding of the main concepts

o Think about how this lecture connects to the one before it. What might be coming next? Last but not least, make use of the Video Streaming, Lectopia and WebCT. Lectures are recorded and available online for review and revision. Interactive Video Tutor (IVT) allows lecturers and students to start a forum and allows the lecturer to answer students’ queries online. You can obtain separate instruction sheets from the PSB Programme Executives on the login procedures for IVT.

LABORATORY SESSIONS These are compulsory and are a vital component of the science program. Make sure you arrive punctually and conform to any rules about dress and equipment (e.g. wearing closed shoes and keeping your hair up). Follow carefully the instructions about the work to be carried out and written up, particularly noting issues relating to safety. Lab sessions are not merely for learning technical procedures: they give you the opportunity – particularly in higher-level units – to practise science in action. Be aware that there are penalties for non-attendance at lab sessions and that a roll-call will be taken. Failure to attend lab sessions may result in your failing the unit, even if your exam and assignment marks would otherwise be equal to or greater than 50%. Because of this, any absence from a lab session must be justified by the submission of a doctor’s certificate. If you are absent for any other reason, you must consult your unit co-ordinator, who will determine whether the reason(s) for missing the lab is valid. Missing too many labs, even with a medical certificate or other valid reason, may still result in your failing the unit.

ASSIGNMENTS Get started early with assignments. Don't leave them until a week or a few days before they are due, or you will find that all the books you need have been borrowed and you have no time to check or revise your work. In addition, there are penalties for late submission of assignments. If you need an extension for valid reasons (e.g. illness) you must contact the unit coordinator before the due date with a medical certificate or other documentary evidence. Keep a backup copy of all your assignments. All assignments must have a cover-sheet on the top acknowledging that the work is your own. Assignments presented without a cover sheet will not be accepted. Cover-sheets can be downloaded from the PSB Academy website under “Forms Download”. GETTING YOURSELF ORGANISED The first year of university can be exciting, but also difficult as you are in a new environment and have to adjust to a different style of learning. Here are some suggestions to help you: o Read and refer to this Survival Guide throughout your studies here. Make sure you download

an updated version of the guide at least once at year. Current copies can be downloaded off the Faculty website at http://www.science.uwa.edu.au/singapore or obtained from PSB.

o Check your student email regularly. All correspondence will be sent via this email.

o Find out about the PSB Academy support services. The Academy provides a wide range of courses from English language certificate courses to enrichment courses such as essay writing, etc. Refer to the Academy website at www.psbacademy.edu.sg for more information.

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o Explore the sensible tips and further resource material at http://www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/ss/learning/studying_smarter/jump_start where topics include: Study Techniques; Time Management; Starting an Essay; Critical Thinking; Avoiding Procrastination; Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism; and Managing Study Stress.

OBTAINING ACADEMIC ADVICE Keeping a check on your enrolment is a very important part of surviving at university. You should speak to the PSB Programme Executive before withdrawal deadlines if you are experiencing any trouble. If you have a problem that is affecting your performance, if your results are not satisfactory or if you would like a confidential meeting, then you should make an appointment to see the Head of School. You can discuss courses, enrolment, and any other queries that you might have with the PSB Programme Executive.

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT You will receive, within the first week of the start of semester, information – in writing – on how each of your units is assessed. Read it carefully! Take note also of possible penalties for late submission of assignments and non-attendance at laboratories. GRADES AND MARKS Final results from each unit are formally reviewed and ratified by the Faculty’s Board of Examiners. The date of release is approximately 6 weeks from the date of the exam. You may view your results via Student Connect. The following classifications are used for final results: Grade Name Code Standard Mark Range Higher Distinction HD 80 – 100 Distinction D 70 – 79 Credit Pass CR 60 – 69 Pass P 50 – 59 Fail N+ 45 – 49 Fail N 0 – 44 Fail due to non-completion of compulsory component FC Supplementary exam granted SG Supplementary exam passed PS Supplementary exam failed FS Deferred exam DE Assessment continuing AC Withdrawn Pre-term WP Withdrawn without academic penalty WD Withdrawn with academic penalty FN AACE1000 Ungraded Pass UP AACE1000 Non-completion NC

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ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND PLAGIARISM It is an absolute requirement that anything you do for assessment should be your own work. UWA treats plagiarism, cheating in tests or exams, or any other breach of academic honesty as a very serious offence, and official disciplinary action may be taken. Plagiarism Plagiarism occurs when you take someone else's thoughts and writings and present them as your own. You are encouraged to read widely, but you must clearly acknowledge the source of ideas or research which is not your own. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, speak to your lecturer or tutor. Please be careful with your written work, making sure that you: o ALWAYS mention the source of all quotations or paraphrased ideas, whether these are facts,

details, figures, opinions, interpretations or speculations. o DO NOT pretend that the work of someone else is your own. o DO NOT quote directly, or rewrite with only minimal paraphrasing, the work of somebody else

without indicating that you are quoting and without acknowledging your source. It is your responsibility to be aware of what the Faculty policy is regarding plagiarism. To access the Faculty of Life and Physical Sciences' policy on plagiarism see: http://www.science.uwa.edu.au/for/students/academic_assessment/dishonesty. When submitting any assignment, you must attach the approved cover-sheet, with your signature (See more under “Assignments”). Academic misconduct is dealt with under Statute 17 of the University. The regulations governing student conduct and discipline may be found at http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/home/policies/discip. Significant penalties are applied to those proven to have been involved in academic misconduct (e.g. cheating). Penalties also apply to those proven to have plagiarised material of others. All new students are required to complete AACE1000 Academic Conduct Essentials within the first 10 weeks of enrolment. This is a short online module explaining the University’s requirements for academic conduct. The recorded result for this module is UP (Ungraded Pass) or NC (Non-completion). EXAMINATIONS Most units include an exam as part or all of the assessment. When and where are my exams? Exam dates are given to students at the beginning of the term. Any changes of date and time will be advised via email. It is your responsibility to check the exam timetable, and find out the date, time and place of the exam. The most common reason for missing an exam is misreading the timetable or neglecting to check the final copy of the exam timetable. Try not to do either of these!

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Preparing for exams There is a break of a few days in the week of the exam, although we recommend you start studying well before then! Past exam papers for some units can be found on the web at http://www.library.uwa.edu.au/find_information/course_materials_online. If you are unable to sit an exam See under “Deferred Exams” below. If you accidentally miss an exam If you miss an exam for any reason then you must report immediately to the PSB Programme Executive and provide an explanation for not attending. In exceptional circumstances you may be able to still sit the exam within 24 hours of the scheduled time. Deferred exams are NEVER awarded for exams missed by mistake.

DEFERRED EXAMS You can apply to the Faculty for deferral of an exam if, through exceptional circumstances that arose unexpectedly and beyond your control, you are unable to sit the scheduled examination, or were substantially hindered in your preparation for the exam. You should apply beforehand if possible, and in no case later than the third PSB working day after the scheduled exam. You should be aware that deferred exams are not given automatically, and your request may be denied. Each case considered is treated individually and on its merits. The Faculty normally only grants a deferred exam on grounds of illness or for compassionate reasons (in particular a death in your close family). In all cases you must provide detailed documentary evidence. It is important to remember that even if you have not attended the scheduled exam, you will still not be granted a deferred exam unless the Faculty considers your reasons adequate. You will not be permitted to reschedule your exams to accommodate such things as holidays. If you are granted a deferred exam, it is your responsibility to find out when it will be held. Deferred exams cannot normally be deferred a second time, or rescheduled. Most deferred exams will be held in week 3 or 4 of the following term. To apply for a deferred exam: o Complete an application form (Special Consideration form), available from PSB. o Make sure you complete section 6 of the Special Consideration form. o Attach relevant documentary evidence to support your application. If the application is for

medical reasons, ask your doctor to fill in section 7 and 8 of the Special Consideration form, or attach a medical certificate that includes details of the nature of the illness, its severity and duration.

o Hand the application form and attachments into PSB. o PSB will email your student email regarding the outcome of your request If a deferred exam is not awarded, then your coursework, labs and other assessments will form the basis of your final mark and you will not be permitted to sit another exam.

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SPECIAL CONSIDERATION If you have been ill or there are exceptional circumstances, such as a death in the family, which have affected your preparation for or performance in an exam, you can apply for special consideration. To do this you must complete the Special Consideration form, available from PSB, explaining the circumstances. Supporting documents (e.g. medical report, death certificate) must also be provided. You must do this no later than the third PSB working day after the exam. You may also apply for special consideration earlier in the semester, e.g. if you miss classes because of illness. The procedure is the same as that used for applying for deferred exams. The final date for applying for special consideration for any item of assessment is the third PSB working day after the due date of the assessment. o Applying for special consideration is not a remedy for not studying conscientiously. o You will be required to sit exams on schedule unless you have specifically been granted a

deferred exam. o The Faculty does not accept late applications for special consideration except in cases of

extreme hardship. Medical certificates should give enough detail for the Faculty to make an informed judgement. They are treated with strict confidence. Unit co-ordinators will be advised about the period of illness and/or the special consideration requested, but will not be supplied with copies of medical certificates or other confidential documentation. Special consideration refers to exceptional circumstances that may be taken into account when your work is being assessed. It is not a mechanism for turning a fail into a pass. Once assignments have been marked and returned, it is not normally possible to grant any special consideration. With regard to final results for a unit, once they have been ratified by the Board of Examiners, it is inappropriate to seek retrospective special consideration, unless in the most extreme circumstances. In almost no circumstances will the Faculty change a result, on grounds of special consideration, after the results have been released. SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENT Supplementary exams are granted to students who obtain a mark of 45-49% in any of these units: ANHB1101, ANHB1102, CHEM1103, CHEM1104, SCIE1106, PSYC1101, PSYC1102, HMES1101, HMES1102 and HMES1103. In rare instances the Board of Examiners may set a form of supplementary assessment other than an exam. Supplementary exams are not normally granted as a result of a deferred exam. A result of SG indicates a supplementary assessment has been granted. If you pass the supplementary exam, your academic record will show PS. A fail is shown as FS. Absence from a supplementary exam results in a fail. Failing may mean that you will need to drop back a cohort. No supplementary exams are available for Level 1 units other than those listed above, or Level 2 units. The only other supplementary assessment available is for one unit taken within the last 6 months of your course and failed with a mark of 45-49%. You will be granted the supplementary exam by the Board of Examiners after you have completed all other requirements of the course.

SATISFACTORY/UNSATISFACTORY PROGRESS Satisfactory progress in an academic year means passing at least half of your units. Unsatisfactory progress means failing more points than you pass. Units from which you have withdrawn without penalty do not count.

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The Board of Examiners considers students’ progress in its final meeting for each year (normally in November). In the case of students who have attempted no more than eight units, have failed more than half of them and have a weighted average mark below 30%, the Board will decide whether the progress status should be ‘On Probation´ or ‘Suspended’. The Board will assign a progress status of 'On Probation' to students who have attempted no more than eight units, who fail to make satisfactory progress and have a weighted average of at least 30%. If you are assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', you are permitted to re-enrol but may have conditions attached to your enrolment by the Faculty. The Faculty will inform you of those conditions. Unless the Faculty determines otherwise in exceptional circumstances, the Board of Examiners will assign a progress status of 'Suspended' to all other students who fail to make satisfactory progress. Students in the first calendar year of their enrolment will not normally by suspended. If you are assigned the progress status of 'Suspended', you will not normally be permitted to re-enrol in the Faculty for one year, after which you will be permitted to continue with your course. If you believe your poor results were caused by factors that (a) were beyond your control, and (b) have now been overcome, you may write to the Board of Examiners to request a waiver of the suspension (preferably with supporting documentary evidence). Be aware that not many waivers are granted. Such submissions should be forwarded to the Faculty via the relevant Programme Executive. Unless the Faculty determines otherwise in exceptional circumstances, the Board of Examiners will assign a progress status of 'Excluded' to a student who has previously been allocated a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'On Probation' and fails to make satisfactory progress for a second time. If you are assigned the progress status of 'Excluded', you will be excluded for at least one year and will need to apply for readmission in writing, explaining your previous poor performance and why you believe that your performance will improve if you are permitted to continue with your studies. Any achievements gained during your absence from the course should also be included in the letter. Your letter should be submitted to the Programme Executive at PSB who will forward it to the Faculty on your behalf. Failing units Failing units may mean that you have to drop back a cohort in order to complete units in the approved sequence and to ensure prerequisites are met. Failing the same unit twice If you fail the same unit twice, you will normally be blocked from re-enrolling in it. Moreover, under the Science Rules you will not be permitted to take any further units in that discipline. You may therefore need to change your major or program. The same applies if you fail 24 points in one discipline at one level. You may be able to request special permission to continue on grounds of exceptional circumstances, or you may be able to repeat the unit by enrolling in the Not-for-Degree course. However, permission will not necessarily be granted, especially to continue a major or program. Note that a grade of FN (late withdrawal) counts as a fail. It is preferable to avoid repeated fails! Never let things slide, particularly if you are repeating a unit.

APPEALS AGAINST ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT If you feel your final mark for a unit, or your mark for an individual assignment in a unit, may be incorrect, you should contact the lecturer/unit coordinator straight away to ask that the mark be checked. If no error is found in the calculation of the mark, ask your lecturer/unit coordinator for

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feedback on your work – they may be able to suggest ways of improving your results. Please note that the unit coordinator will not re-mark your work on request. In the case of an individual assignment during a unit, if you believe that your mark does not fairly represent the academic worth of the work you have submitted, relative to established standards and the work of other students, you may write to the PSB Programme Executive, who in turn will submit your request to the Head of School, requesting a re-assessment. You must state good grounds for your belief, and you must make the request within twenty University working days of receiving the original result. In the case of a final result for a unit, if (after a marks check and feedback on your performance) you believe that your mark does not fairly represent the academic worth of the work you have submitted, relative to established standards and the work of other students, you may submit a formal appeal to the Head of School. You must do this within twenty University working days of the official release of results on the web. You must fill in the appeal form (available from PSB or on the web at: http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/home/policies/appeals) and submit it together with your own written statement, setting out the grounds of your case, to the PSB Programme Executive, who will forward your application to the Faculty. Before submitting a formal appeal it can be helpful to discuss your case with the lecturer/unit coordinator and PSB Head of School. See the website above for further information. An appeal is never successful simply on the grounds that you are disappointed with your result. There are also procedures for appealing against other aspects of assessment, e.g. progress status*, outcome of a request for special consideration, outcome of scaling of results, or disadvantage arising because a unit is assessed differently from what was announced in the "assessment mechanism statement"; and also for general grievances about your dealings with the University. * An appeal against progress status has to do only with whether the status has been correctly applied. Otherwise you may request a waiver of sanction (suspension or exclusion), if you have good grounds. See above, under “Satisfactory/unsatisfactory progress”

APPROVED LEAVE If you wish to take a year’s leave of absence from your degree course (i.e. January to December), you will need to apply for approved leave. Forms and information related to approved leave can be downloaded from the web at: http://www.studentadmin.uwa.edu.au/welcome/approved_leave. Note: You are not required to apply formally for approved leave if you enrol in at least one unit in one calendar year (e.g. 2008) and at least one unit in the next calendar year (e.g. 2009). If you withdraw from all your units without taking approved leave, you will be deemed to have discontinued your studies and may need to reapply for entry to the course. Approved leave will not normally be granted in the first year of study. If you enrol in the course but withdraw without completing any units, you may need to reapply for entry, or at least to request formally a new offer for a later date. If you are returning to study after a period of leave, you must contact PSB early in November for information concerning the re-enrolment process for the next academic year.

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TRANSFERRING TO CRAWLEY CAMPUS Students who wish to transfer to the Crawley campus may submit the Transfer to Crawley campus form to the International office at UWA. Forms are downloadable from the PSB Academy website. General information about studying at Crawley can be found at: http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/undergrad/international.

COMPLETION OF COURSE AND GRADUATION On satisfactory completion of all requirements of your course (minimum 144 credit points) you will be eligible to graduate – that is to have your degree conferred to you by the University. You can choose to attend a graduation ceremony or have the degree conferred ‘in absentia’ at a graduation ceremony or by the UWA Senate at one of its monthly meetings. Graduation ceremonies are held twice a year at Crawley; the autumn graduation ceremony in March/April and the spring graduation ceremony in August/September. The Graduation Officer will contact you shortly before the completion date you have nominated with information regarding your graduation (including your Application for Conferral of Award form). Once you have completed and returned your Application for Conferral of Award form you are able to access your graduation and certificate details on line through StudentConnect. If you have chosen to have your degree conferred ‘in absentia’ you will be able to check your conferral date and the address to which your certificate will be sent. Your certificate will be sent to the provided address a few days after the conferral date. For further information see the Graduations website at http://www.studentadmin.uwa.edu.au/welcome/graduation.

PRIZES Each year, prizes are awarded to students who are judged, by the Board of Examiners, to be the best students completing the Bachelor of Science course at the PSB Academy in that year. o The UWA/PSB Academy Life Sciences Prize and Medal (Transnational), comprising $1000 and

a medallion. o The UWA/PSB Academy Bachelor of Science Life Sciences Prizes (Transnational), comprising

four individual prizes of $500. Prizes for the Sport Science, Psychology, and Psychology & Human Performance programs will be established in the near future. More information regarding the prizes can be found at http://spe.publishing.uwa.edu.au/latest/prizes/lps.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS OF ACADEMIC RECORD The official transcript of your academic record at the University lists all the units you have taken, with your final grade and percentage mark in each. It also gives your weighted average mark (WAM) over the whole course, plus a grade-point average (GPA), which is intended to convert your average grade into a figure on a seven-point scale (where 7 equals ‘high distinction’). Units

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granted as credit/advanced standing are listed on the transcript but are not included in the calculation of WAM or GPA, as no marks are recorded for these units. Your official transcript may be obtained at any time. Information on obtaining your official transcript can be found at http://www.studentadmin.uwa.edu.au/welcome/record. OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATION Graduands who require a Statement of Qualification for employment purposes (until their formal Graduation Certificate becomes available) can obtain one from Student Administration at UWA. A Statement of Qualification is an official letter from the University stating a student’s completion for degree/award, graduation details if applicable and that all instruction is conducted in English. No units or results are listed. Information on obtaining your official statement of qualifications can be found at http://www.studentadmin.uwa.edu.au/welcome/record.

FURTHER STUDY If you complete the Bachelor of Science course with an average of at least 65% in the level 3 units of your major, you are eligible to apply for entry to the Bachelor of Science (Honours) course. This is a fourth year of study, including a substantial research project. For further information, contact the Administration Officer at the Faculty. The Faculty offers a number of postgraduate courses in relevant areas of study. For further information, visit the Faculty’s website at http://www.science.uwa.edu.au/courses/postgraduates and the International Centre’s website at http://www.studyat.uwa.edu.au/postgrad/international. GENERAL INFORMATION The University's General Rules and the Science Faculties' Rules can be found on line in the UWA Undergraduate Handbook at http://handbooks.uwa.edu.au. You should be aware that not all rules and course details apply to studying offshore. If in doubt, contact the PSB Programme Executive, who will (if necessary) contact the Faculty on your behalf. For further information regarding PSB Academy, please refer to the additional handouts (including the PSB Student Handbook) provided by PSB Academy.

COPYRIGHT ACT 1968 The following needs to be observed when you are photocopying anything. A single copy of literary and other works may be made under the “fair dealing” provision of the Act, providing it is for the purpose of research or study and providing: o It comprises not more than a reasonable portion of the work – 10% or one chapter (if the work

is over nine pages long); or o It is a single article from an issue of a periodical; or o It is another article on the same subject-matter from the same issue of the periodical. See http://www.legalservices.uwa.edu.au/lso/copyright/students for more details.

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STUDENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STUDENT CONNECT The Student Connect web interface is your personal gateway to the information the University holds about you. You will be able to: o Complete enrolment and re-enrolment processes o View information about your current and previous enrolment o View your exam results o View and update your address details Website: https://student.sims.admin.uwa.edu.au/connect/webconnect

PHEME Pheme is an account management system which enables you to use your Person ID (student number) as a login for a range of systems, including Student Connect and UWA Student Email Account. Pheme will also enable you to use a common PIN to assess these systems. To activate and create a new PIN, you must first be enrolled. The first time you try to access a system managed by Pheme, you be invited to create a new PIN: https://www.pheme.uwa.edu.au/activate.aspx. To activate your studentmail:

1. Connect to the student website: http://www.student.uwa.edu.au 2. Click on the link “Activate your Email and Computer Account” and follow the

instructions PSB REFUND POLICY

FINANCIAL PENALTY

Written Notice Received by PSB Academy Percentage of Course Fees Refunded At least 28 days* before the commencement date of the teaching period for the unit 100% of course fee

Between 14 days – 27 days* before the commencement date of the teaching period for the unit

50% of course fee

Less than 14 days* before the commencement date of the teaching period for the unit No refund

To withdraw from any course or unit, please fill in the "UWA Change of Enrolment" form available on the PSB Academy website or at the Student Support Services counter, and submit it to the PSB Programme Executive who will forward it to the Faculty. *Inclusive of Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

Know your Peers

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Name Contact No. Email

1

Notes